thomas



J. A. THOMAS.

MACHINE STARTING AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLlCATiON FILED JULY 9. 1917- 1,304,824, 1 Patented May 27, 1919.

3 SHEETS *SHEET 1.

' Inventor l.A.THOMAS. MACHINE STARTING AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILE'D JULY 9.1917.

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MACHINE STARTING AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9.1917.

- Patented May 27, 1919.

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-UNITED STATES PATENT onr on.

JAMES A. THOMAS, or TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro CLUETT, rnnnonY & oo no or TROY, 1\ TEW YORK, A CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

MACHINE STARTING AND STOPPING MECHANISM.

. Application filed July 9, 1917. Serial No. 179,320.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, JAMES A. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machine Starting and Stopping Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. 3

Reference may be had to the accompany,- ing drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

This invention relates to starting-and.- stopping apparatus for sewing-machines and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to enable the operator to easily and quickly start the machine, and to easily and quickly sto the machine, when desired. 1

(gther objects will appearin connection with the following description.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view in front elevation of part of a sewing-machine table to which is applied a machine starting-and-stopping apparatus embodying my invention, the parts of said apparatus-being shown in the positions assumed when the machineis idle. V

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts of the apparatus in the positions assumed when the machine is running.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of thesame.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the same taken on the broken linej l in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is aside view of the cam detached, employed in starting and stopping the machine.

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in preferred form, 1 is a sewing-machine table, adapted to have mounted thereupon a sewing-machine, 2, a portion only of which is shown.

The table has the usual pan, 3, beneath the sewing-machine.

A horizontal shaft, 1, is mounted by means of a set-screw, 5, in fixed position in a bracket, 6, depending from the table, 1.

Upon this shaft, 4, 1s rotatively mounteda driven belt-pulley, 7, carrying a belt, 8, for operating the machine, 2.

A driving belt-pulley, 9, is also rotatively mounted upon said shaft, 4:, with freedom to slide longitudinally thereof into and out Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27 .1919.

of frictional engagement with the driven pulley, 7

A packing, 10, is preferablyinserted in the face of one of said pulleys in position to frictionally engage the face of the other pulley when said pulley, 9, is forced toward the pulley, 7.

An angle-lever, 11, upon a 'bracket, 13, depending from the table, 1, one end of said lever having mounted thereupon a bearing plug, 14, adapted to engage the belt-pulley, 9, to force the same into .grlctional engagement with the belt puley, V

The other end .of the angle-lever, 11, is connected by a coil-spring, 15, with a semicircular or U-shaped lever, 16, fulcrumed at one end at 17 upon a bracket, 18, depending is fulcrumed at 12 v from the table, 1, the other end of saidlever,

16, extending into the path of a rotatory cam, 19, pivoted at 20 on. a pair of ears, 21, de pending from the table, 1, said camf being elongated and having dwells on each of its four sides. i- 1 The spring, 15, tends to operate the anglelever, 11, to force the belt pulley, 9, against the belt pulley, 7 ,and also'operates toforce the U-shaped lever, 16, against the cam, 19, whereby as the cam, 19, is rotatively moved by a step-by-step movement, its four dwells will successively engage the lever, 16,- to shift the anglelever, 11, so as to alternately press the-belt-pulley, 9, against the belt-pulley, 7, and to relieve the pressure upon the belt-pulley, 9. V 1

When the pressure is relieved upon the belt-pulley, 9, said pulleyrotates as an idle pulley without driving the pulley, 7, thus stopping the machine.

When the angle-lever, 11, is shifted to exert pressure upon the belt-pulley, 9, the latter is forced into frictional engagement with the belt-pulley, 7, to start the same, thus a pawl, 23, pivotally mounted upon a rod, 24, carried by a link, 25, pivotally mounted at 26, upon a bracket, 27, depending from the table, 1.

A leaf-spring, 28, yieldingly holds the pawl, 23, in engagement with the ratchet pins, 22.

A knee-rest, 29, is fixed upon an offset portion, 30, of the rod, 24, and serves as a means whereby the operator can at will impart step-by-step movement to the cam, 19.

The return movement of the pawl, 23, is

.caused by a coil-spring, 31, connecting the link, 25, with one of a pair of brackets, 32, depending from the table, 1, and between which the cam engaged end, 33, of the lever, 16, is guided in its movement.

A set-screw, 34, is inserted through a lug, 35, on the link, 25, and by engagement with the pan, .3, acts as a stop to limit the return movement of the pawl, 23.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The machine being idle with one of the long sides of the cam, 19, in engagement with the lever, 16, as shown in Fig. 1, the operator presses with the knee or hand against the rest, 29, thus swinging the link,

25, and pawl, 23, to the left as viewed in Fig. 1, causing the pawl to rotatively move the cam, 19, through an arc of ninety degrees, thus bringing one of its short ends into engagement with the lever, 16, whereby said lever is depressed, and through the spring, 15, shifts the angle-lever, 11, against the belt-pulley, 9, forcing said belt-pulley against the belt-pulley, 7, to drive the latter.

As soon as the pressure is removed from the rest, 29, the pawl, 23, will be returned by the spring, 31, to position to engage the next successive ratchet-pin on the cam, 19.

The machine being thus started will continue to be operated until the cam, 19, is rotatively moved through another are of ninety degrees which brings its other long side into engagement with the lever, 16, thus restoring the lever, 16, spring, 15, anglelever, 11, and belt-pulley, 9, to their original position.

The machine can then be thus started and stopped at the will of the operator by merely pressing with the knee or hand against the rest, 29.

By pressing gently upon the rest, 29, the cam, 19, can be held in an intermediate position before passing the dead-center so as to cause the pulley, 9, to exert less than maximum pressure against the pulley, 7, whereby the operator can, by varying such pressure, regulate the speed of the machine as may be desired.

I have shown the members, 7 and 9, in the form of beltpulleys, but I do not Wish to be limited in this respect as it Will be readily apparent that these may be any known form of driven and driving elements in a machine.

If desired, the movement of the pawl, 23, and link, 25, which is induced by means of the rest, 29, may be limited by means of a stop-screw, 37 inserted through a bracket, %8, depending from the pan, 3, as shown in What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a machine-starting-and stopping apparatus and in combination, a driving member and a driven-member one movable into and out of frictional engagement with theother; a shiftablemember for-moving said'movable member; a rotatory earn;- a cam-actuated member; a spring-connection between said shiftable member and said camactuated member tending to hold said driving and driven members in frictional engagement with each other, and to hold said cam-engaged member in engagement-with said cam; and means for imparting at will a -step-bystep rotative movement to said cam.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of July, 1917.

JAMES A. THOMAS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

